Happy Birthday
by Meet Me Halfway
Summary: [Angel never forgot...and he never forgave himself. Even in the wake of dreaming it.] ONESHOT [AngelDarla AngelusDarla AngelBuffy Implied]


**Oneshot. Hope it's pleasing. It's pretty intense and will probably confuse you. But don't worry, I'll explain in the end if you do not.

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**Title: **_Happy Birthday_

**Summary: **_Angel never forgot...and he never forgave himself. Even in the wake of dreaming it._

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre: **_Drama/Romance_

**Characters: **_Angel, Darla, and OC Nessa Maidie_

**Pairing: **_Angel/Darla, Angelus/Darla, Angel/Nessa familyship, and implied Angel/Buffy

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_Darla smiled and giggled. Carefully, slowly, and grinning, she gently slipped off the satin blindfold. This was their moment. And she saw it as opportunistic._

_"Happy Birthday, Angelus."_

Angel's eyes shot open and he felt cold sweat cover his body. Letting his eyes wander for a moment around the room, he tried to steady his ragged breathing.

"Angel?"

Sitting up, the vampire grabbed his T-shirt and slipped it on. "Now I'm hearing things," he breathed.

"Angelus?"

Angel froze and blinked. Now he was sure that he was hearing things. Or maybe his two-hundred-year-old mind was playing...no. That wasn't it.

Today. What was today? Grabbing the calendar, Angel ran a finger down to the day. _His_ day. The day he always dreaded and would dread.

"Angelus?"

Born 1727. Met her eye and met her in person in 1753. Turned into what he was that same year. Got and killed a Gypsy for his birthday from her in 1892. Got his soul that same year.

"Angelus?"

"No," Angel dropped the calendar and looked behind him. Darla stood ther in all of her 1700 century glory. Smiling, twirling a single golden curl around her finger.

Swallowing hard, Angel felt as though his legs were going to give out. This wasn't real. It wasn't. His mind was playing tricks.

"Angelus," Darla smiled and stepped closer to him, "you don't look a day over twenty-three."

"Maybe because I'm not," Angel backed up slowly. "How--how did you--"

"Shh," Darla grinned genuinely and put a finger to his lips. She felt very much real. Very much there. "We don't need to waste time with needless chatter."

Angel felt his eyes grow. "Darla..."

"Shh, Angelus," she smiled and stroked his face slowly and lovingly. "My sweet Angelus. My sweet, sweet boy." She grew closer. "Where have our years gone to? What have you become other than the one thing I wanted you to be?"

"Darla, my bad days are over. I have a soul now, you know that," Angel pulled back slowly. "I'm not Angelus anymore."

Darla shook her head with a laugh. "No, no, silly. Angelus you very much still are. My sweet Angelus."

Angel closed his eyes as she stroked his cheek slowly and softly again. He felt something with her. Something he didn't want to feel again. "Darla-"

"Shush," she grinned and edged closer to the vamp until he ended up back on the bed again. "Angelus?"

"Yes?" Angel found her lips getting danegrously closer to his.

Smiling genuinely, Darla traced his hairline. "Happy Birthday," she came on quick and kissed his lips with genuine feeling. Angel became lost in it.

"Birthday?" He asked against her lips.

Darla nodded and giggled. "Yes, sily. And I have something for you," she smiled and the twinkle in her eye matched perfectly.

"For me?" Angel asked, confused and yet interested.

Darla nodded and got up. "Follow me."

Numbly, Angel stood up after her and followed the blonde vampire.

"Wait," she stopped at the doorway and turned around to face him. "Close your eyes."

"Close...my eyes?"

Darla nodded. "Close your eyes, Angelus."

Angel couldn't help himself. He closed his eyes and felt something cool, smooth, and satiny slip on over his eyes. It tossed him into a loop for a moment. "Darla?" He smiled.

"Just a blindfold, Angelus, Dear," Darla put her hands on his forearms. "Walk forward."

Angel did so, smile on his face and arms outstretched in front of him. "Darla, what is this?" His hand met a beam and he let out a laugh, very much enjoying this.

"Just a few more steps," Darla laughed as well and guided Angel slowly and carefully into the living room. The two took three more steps before she stopped him. "Stop. Stop."

"Darla," Angel couldn't help his smile and turned in the direction of where she stood. "What's this about? Can I--?"

Giggling, Darla kissed his cheek. "Just a minute." She carefully undid the blindfold. "Keep your eyes shut." She put her hands over his eyes once the blindfold slid off.

"Hey," Angel put his hands on hers and smiled wider. "Darla."

Smiling, Darla nipped his earlobe and slowly drew her hands back from his eyes. "Happy Birthday, Angelus."

Opening his eyes, Angel could swear that his breath caught. If that was even possible. Darla smiled next to him in sheer delight and pride.

"Isn't she perfect?" She traced his arm up and down. "Now you can truly prove your loyalty to me."

Angel shook his head. "I can't."

"Sure you can."

"No, Darla, I can't!" Angel lashed without meaning.

Looking shocked, Darla gazed down for a moment. "You can get rid of that soul and be with me forever. I know that's what you want." She smiled slowly. "All you have to do is..." she turned his head back to the opposite direction, "...enjoy your birthday present."

Angel thought. And Darla sensed it all over.

"Don't think it over, Angelus. You know you want to. She's perfect. A child. She's worth more than the Gypsy," Darla smiled.

Angel looked at the said child. An eight-year-old girl bound and gagged on the floor. "I can't, Darla."

"Why ever not?"

Looking her square in the eye, he told her, "She's my daughter."

Darla slapped his cheek. "You wench. I know that. Of course I know that. But that shouldn't matter. When did you ever care before?"

"When I regained my--"

"Don't!" Darla pointed at him, then smiled sweetly. "Don't you love me, Angelus?"

Did he? No. Of course not.

"No, Darla."

"You lie," she grinned and kissed him. "Enjoy your gift, sweet Angelus. You deserve it. What's she ever gonna be for you?"

Angel looked back at the girl.

"That's right. Go ahead. Nobody's watching but me," Darla smiled. "And that's _my_ gift in return."

Angel nodded and looked back down to his eight-year-old. She stared at him with wide brown eyes and tried to slither her way out of the binds.

The vamp swallowed, slowly and numbly walking towards her. "Nessa..."

A muffled scream came from her and Darla stood behind the two, smiling in pleasure.

Angel looked back at Darla. She nodded. "Enjoy it, Angelus. You deserve her."

"No more than I deserve you, Darla," he found himself smiling at her.

Darla nodded and Angel turned back to Nessa Maidie. She writhed as Angel traced her face slowly and carefully. "Nessa..."

She cried out and writhed. Angel was torn. He didn't know what to do. He traced her clavical and neck. Darla grinned; Nessa cried writhing worse. Angel brushed away a strand of her hair.

"Nessa, I'm not sorry."

Darla grinned wider as Angel turned vamp.

"Happy Birthday, Angelus."

_"Nessa!"_

Angel shot up in bed, breathing ragged. He threw the covers off him and ran through his dark apartment to the spare room that had been newly renovated recently for her. he flung the door open and found Nessa Maidie sleeping soundly.

Walking over to his daughter's bed, the vamp knelt down and brushed away a strand of her brown hair. There was nothing on her neck.

"Thank God, thank you," he breathed, kissing her forehead. He stroked her hair slowly. A dream. That's all it had been. A horrible dream. A dream that he had...regrettably...enjoyed.

"Daddy?"

Angel opened his eyes and looked down into her soft, chocolate eyes. His eyes. He smiled. "Hi, Nessa."

Nessa smiled and slowly sat up. "Are you okay?"

Angel nodded shakily. "Yeah. Daddy's okay."

Nessa held her arms out and the vamp picked her up out of bed. He walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, settling the eight-year-old in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her frame.

"Oh!" She sat up. "I almost forgot!" Nessa wriggled out of his hold and ran into her room, then back into the living room, holding a small, blue box.

"What's this?" Angel picked her back up onto his lap. He pointed to the box. "What's that, Nessa?"

Nessa smiled with pride. "I made it for you!" She held it out to him.

"For me?" Angel smiled and took the box. "Well, hmm, what's in it?"

"Daddy!" Nessa giggled. "You have to open it!"

"Oooohhh, okay. I get it now," Angel smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, very much, Baby."

Nessa smiled and nodded. A moment went by before Angel looked at her.

"Oh you want me to open it _now_?" He joked with a grin.

Nessa giggled again and nodded. "Yes, Daddy."

"What's this for, anyway?" Angel asked as he opened the box.

"Your birthday, silly."

Angel looked at his daughter. "My--birthday, Ness?"

Nessa nodded and Angel looked back down at the box. Carefully, he unwrapped the tissue paper and pulled out what looked to be a dogtag from it. "Nessa, what's this?"

"Read it!" She said excitedly.

Angel flipped it over and read, "_Angel. Best Daddy in the whole 200 years. Love, Nessie._" He grinned at her. "How'd you get this?"

Nessa smiled proudly. "Cordelia told Wessy who took me to sees a friend of his who helped!"

Angel smiled and kissed her cheek. "I love it."

"Really?"

"Really, really," Angel hugged her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday."

Angel smiled. Now that seemed okay to say. When she said it, it meant the world. Apart from anything or anybody else. "Thanks, Sweetie."

"You're very welcome!" Nessa smiled. "You know what it's time for now?"

"Tell me," Angel put his forehead to hers.

Throwing her hands up, she exclaimed, "Cake!" and got down, heading into the kitchen. Angel followed.

"Uh, Ness, Sweetie, I don't think that--"

"Don't worry!" Nessa pried the refridgerator door open. "Cordy and I got two cakes. Chocolate for me," she pulled out a small, chocolate cake wrapped on a plate and set it on the table. "And for you, we made a drinkable cake. Special thanks to Wessy!" Nessa pulled out a small, blood-red cake-shaped liquid also wrapped on a plate.

Angel wasn't so sure. "Ness..."

"Try it," Nessa said plainly, handing him a straw. "Wes said it would do fine. Plus!" She went to her side of the table. "It's your favorite. O Positive!" She grinned proudly at knowing her father's vamp taste buds and Angel couldn't help but to laugh.

"Well thank you very much and I'll be sure to thank Wesley, too."

Nessa nodded and diped ehr index finger inot her chocolate frosting and licked it off with a smile and giggle. Angel laughed at her, enjoying the moment at hand.

A moment passed before Angel licked his thumb after giving Wes' inventive cake a try. "Mmmn, Nessa?"

"Si?" Nessa grinned at her knowledge of Spanish.

"Thank you."

"For da cake, present or everything?"

Angel smiled. "Everything. All of it."

Nessa smiled back. Small and smiple, but meaning all the same. "You're welcome, Dad. You deserves it."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Nessa twirled her fork thoughtfully and went on, "because without you, there would be no me. And without me, you wouldn't be as happy."

Angel smirked. "Did Wes and Cordy tell you that one?"

"Nope," Nessa shook her head, "that one was all me. And a freebie if I might add." She licked her fork clean.

Angel nodded adn though for a spare moment. "Well you're right. I definitely wouldn't be as happy without you." Nessa smiled at that.

"Thanks for the great birthday, Nessie."

"The first one in a long time?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah. The first one in a _very_ long time."

Nodding, Nessa got up from her chair. "I'm going back to bed. My work here is done."

Angel laughed and gave her a kiss. "Okay. Rest up, Nessie. You have to come to the office with me later."

Nessa nodded and walked to her bedroom, stopping at the doorway and turning back around to face him. "I love you, Daddy."

"Love you, too, Darling."

When Nessa disappeared behind her bedroom door, Angel sighed and sat back in his seat with his arms crossed. He let his thoughts wander and his eyes drifted when he spotted a single golden curl flash.

Darla smiled, sitting in the chair Nessa had been in. "Happy Birthday, Angelus."

Angel shook his head and uttered a laugh that meant he was both confused and yet amused. "Yeah," he stood up and swung Nessa's birthday present around on his finger, then caught it in his hand. "Happy Birthday to me."

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**END

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**Confused? I'll clear the air.**

**The whole thing with Darla was a dream...and illusion if you would. Nessa is really there, really Angel's daughter from Buffy, hence the Angel/Buffy implied. At the end Darla was there at the kitchen table. Was also and illusion of Angel's mind. Everything else was real. The only thing that was an illusioned dream for Angel was Darla being there and such.**

**Jay**


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